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Castle Xyntillan
Publisher: First Hungarian d20 Society
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/11/2021 06:12:25

A very good example of an old-school style "haunted house of traps and terrors" type of adventure. There's a lot of content here, and the writing is consistently interesting (and sometimes slyly funny). The setting is memorable -- it's not just a generic backdrop for the action.

One thing that Gamemasters hoping to drop Castle Xyntillian into their campaign worlds as a "starter dungeon" for levels 1 through 6 may need to know is that the default cultural setting for Castle Xyntillian has a "medieval-fantasy France" feel to it, as opposed to the typical "vaguely medieval-British" feel of many classic fantasy adventures.

The place names and character names, as printed, all have a French flavor to them. These can be changed, of course, if a GM decides she needs something different, but potential buyers should be aware of the adventure's default context.

Recommended.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Castle Xyntillan
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The Sword of Air (SW)
Publisher: Frog God Games
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/01/2017 23:17:08

It pains me to say that I was disappointed with this product. I've been a fan of Bill Webb's product line since the earliest days of Necromancer Games -- but The Sword Of Air (in my opinion) lacks the inherent panache which has traditionally set the Webb stuff apart from all the other old-school offerings based on somebody's homebrew campaign world. Given that the product is not exactly cheap as PDFs go, this is a purchase I personally regret.

For the most part, this product reads like a huge chunk of open-world game content set in Webb's "Lost Lands" campaign world. I say "open world" because while there is a questline in play, the story goes out of its way to provide a broad context (and broad content) for adventuring, rather than leading the players by the nose through pre-scripted steps to the quest objective.

So, the content is definitely there if you enjoy the Necromancer/Frog God style of game world -- there are a lot of pages in this PDF, to be sure -- but there is also an inescapable sense of the product preaching to the converted. If you already like Webb's gameworld, and the publisher's general style of content, then you'll probably like The Sword Of Air -- but there's very little here that stood out as particularly useful to me as someone who runs games, and has to convince others to spend time playing in them.

If I had to "pitch" this product to my players as something I could run for them, I'd be hard-pressed to find a particular aspect of the product which could draw their interest, and make them want to play this instead of something else. Don't get me wrong -- this product contains serviceable content throughout, and there is a lot of it, but we've seen this kind of content before. Sometimes, we've seen it before from Necromancer and Frog God, specifically. So, if you and your players are already huge fans, you'll love this, but it can be a harder sell to those gamers who aren't specifically fans of Webb's line.

The thing which probably disappointed me most in The Sword Of Air was the noticeable drop in production values. Necromancer and Frog God have always been known for having a slick visual style built into their products -- a panache which helps "sell" the adventure to the Dungeon Master, and through him or her, to the players. While the cover of The Sword Of Air is gorgeous, and some of the interior art is definitely up to the company's usual standards, the encounter maps are ... well, "unimpressive" is themost polite term I could use here. I was actually shocked when I first saw these. The overland maps (what few there are) are generally good, though.

So, my opinion -- if you and your players are already big fans of all things Necromancer/Frog God, you'll probably love this, and it will be worth the cost.

If not, though, I'm not sure there's enough unique and noteworthy content in The Sword Of Air to warrant a purchase at the going price. I already know that most of what's here won't be of particular use to any of my own game campaigns.

Call my opinion a Three Out Of Five, then. If you love the company's work, you'll likely love The Sword Of Air too. If you're simply looking for something new and noteworthy, there are probably better, more cost-effective options out there -- some of them from the Necromancer/Frog God product lines themselves.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
The Sword of Air (SW)
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Ambition & Avarice: 1st Edition
Publisher: Chubby Funster
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/29/2013 15:18:14

A brilliant game, worth every penny if you want a simplified-yet-versatile fantasy rpg, but one oversight (sadly) keeps it from being the go-to game for my future fantasy gaming -- one of the core archetypes for this style of gameplay appears to be missing.

We have the Knight class; the warrior for whom social standing and public perception (honor) are crucial. We also have the Savage class, which effectively brings us the fierce, raging warrior from beyond the borders of decadent civilization.

What we lack is some sort of Sellsword or Mercenary class -- a character type some of my players have gravitated toward since the first edition of AD&D. The ex-soldier or city guard or similar, now seeking their fortune through adventure and plunder.

Neither a high-born fighter concerned with social standing, nor a wild barbarian primitive, the sellsword archetype is, perhaps, the "everyman" fighter.. Motivated to move beyond the familiar in search of fortune.

Don't get me wrong, Ambition & Avarice is probably the best and the smartest "original-school fantasy" ruleset I've seen in decades. If you have any interest, buy it. However, I know my players, and this lack of a seminal archetype has moved A&A from "a game I must run as soon as I possibly can" to " a game I will probably run, once I can figure out some sort of kluge version of the missing archetype".

My opinions, anyway.

It may indicate how good the game is, that I actually regret this turn of events.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Ambition & Avarice: 1st Edition
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Deathwatch: Ark of Lost Souls
Publisher: Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/03/2013 18:13:56

A Warhammer 40K adventure/campaign which will appeal to players of all the WH40KRPG games. A major Space Hulk finally appears in the Koronus Expanse, ready to terrorize players with Genestealers, and worse!

While Ark of Lost Souls is meant for Deathwatch Space Marines players, it can be readily adapted for other WH40KRPG games with some work by the Gamemaster. The module is primarily a branching storyline, with significant encounters, and NPCs and enemies described.

The module also includes a descriptive random-encounter generator, which means that this Space Hulk can be as large, and as expansive, as the Gamemaster desires.

Even without inserting randomly-generated story content, Ark of Lost Souls falls somewhere between a standard adventure and a campaign. By adding in additional content, this Space Hulk could be home to an ongoing series of adventures -- a full-blown campaign. That's what I'm planning to do.

Those hoping to use the Ark of Lost Souls in a Rogue Trader, or a Dark Heresy, campaign will have to scale back the strength of the enemies here, or swap them out for appropriately-levelled similar enemies from the Rogue Trader or Dark Heresy creature books.

For those who don't already know, a starting Deathwatch Space Marine is built on 14,000 xp; while a starting Rogue Trader character is built on 5,000 xp; and a starting Dark Heresy character is worth 1,000 xp.

These equivalancies are very rough, because gear, wealth, and specific skills and talents all play a part in how "tough" a character might be -- but some adjustment of the combat scenarios in this adventure must happen if a Rogue Trader crew, or agents of the Inquisition, are investigating the Space Hulk instead of Space Marines.

It's worth noting here, however, that Rogue Trader statistics for Genestealers, and a Broodlord, recently appeared in the Rogue Trader supplement Stars of Inequity.

All in all, I have to give Deathwatch: Ark of Lost Souls a 5 out of 5. It delivers more than I expected, including an intriguing, branching storyline, and a random-content-generator which will extend the lifespan of the adventure setting at the Gamemaster's whim.

In my reviews, a 5 score never means instant perfection for any and all who might look upon the material (I review in the real world); it means that I found a well-made, well-presented product which offered more than I expected, and carried no obvious flaws.

Recommended to any who might be interested.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Deathwatch: Ark of Lost Souls
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0-hr: Renegade
Publisher: 0-hr
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/24/2013 17:49:14

I once joked here that writing reviews of the Armada ship plans is somewhat pointless. Read the ship description ... look at the preview pictures. If it all looks like something you'd use in your gaming, buy it.

These inexpensive deckplans from Ryan Wolfe are, pound for pound, the best out there, plan and simple.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
0-hr: Renegade
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Gygax magazine issue #1
Publisher: Solarian
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/24/2013 17:42:29

Loved this first issue; loved that Gary Gygax's sons are involved in the publishing here, carrying on the family tradition, as it were.

Loved the layout and production values. That cover looks fantastic close up.

As others have said, the content's a bit more generalized this time out, than rules-centric, but I found most of the pieces entertaining. Many of the Grand Founders of D&D return here, and it's nice to hear their tales of where they've been.

There are also some of the new generation Game Kings present as well (e.g. Wolfgang Baur) and the Pathfinder game also makes an appearance, so the old and the new are coming together in Gygax magazine, as it should be in a magazine named after EGG. I suspect many of us weary of the pointless "edition wars"; if it's fun for you, play it..

All this said -- even though I first started gaming in 1979 -- I agree with the previous reviewer ... hearing tales of the old days was fun for this issue, but when it comes to gaming, I'm far more interested in the present, and the future, of gaming.

I want to see what the Founders have brought with them to the game table now. The past is gone. Forward, forward, carrying whatever traditions still serve the fun! Leave the rest..

I look forward to the next issue of Gygax magazine, and where it will take us.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Gygax magazine issue #1
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Mutants and Masterminds Ruleset for Fantasy Grounds
Publisher: SmiteWorks
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/23/2013 15:46:47

It gets the job done, but the default color palette used is fairly hideous, not to mention hard on the eyes.

The default background color is this semi-radioactive bright blue; given how long a GM and players tend to be staring at their screens during a Fantasy Grounds 2 session, I truly wish that the creators had toned down the color intensity.

From a technical standpoint, the program delivers what it promises, in full.

M&M3e gamemasters will probably want to add in powers and other game details which have appeared since this Ruleset arrived, but the core functionality of the game rules are here for virtual tabetop play.

Final score? I'm giving it a 3 out of 5. Full marks for functionality, but a virtual tabletop that's this hard to look at over extended periods of time needs some work.

Buy it if you need what it does, but wear sunglasses.

My opinion, anyway.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Mutants and Masterminds Ruleset for Fantasy Grounds
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RuneQuest 6th Edition
Publisher: Design Mechanism
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/19/2013 08:45:49

Almost certainly the best-written, best-organized core rpg rulebook I've seen in 20+ years of gaming.

While not a lot of support material currently exists for RQ6 -- as of this writing -- the transparent nature of the underlying Basic Roleplaying (BRP) game system means that materials from the Mongoose Runequest II line (e.g. the Monster Coliseum monster book), and even the Basic Roleplaying line (e.g. Classic Fantasy), can be adapted into RQ6 with a minimum of heavy lifting by the Gamemaster.

If you've ever wanted to give RuneQuest a try, start with this edition.

An excellent product in many, many ways. Full marks from me.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
RuneQuest 6th Edition
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Outpost 19
Publisher: Chaosium
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/13/2013 06:30:16

This decent science-fiction adventure for the Basic Roleplaying system is hurt by netbook-quality production values, and the fact that the adventure is of very little use beyond the confines of its own plot.

Neither of these conditions are deal-breakers, as such, but they make it very difficult to justify the asking price of this product.

Much of what's here is text -- a lot of it macro-level detail about the fictional universe which surrounds the Outpost 19 adventure site.

If you're a BRP gamemaster hoping to scavenge useful elements from this adventure, there's not all that much to take away -- unless you're interested in making the Outpost 19 campaign setting your own.

The creators obviously put thought and effort into their creation; the fault is not theirs. The question remains, however: does this product justify its cost?

For myself, the answer would have to be no.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Outpost 19
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Rogue Trader: Stars of Inequity
Publisher: Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/10/2013 01:39:25

Another solid Rogue Trader support product which hits all the usual strengths of the best products in the RT line.

The book gives a solid chunk of useful detail on the central topic -- building WH40K science-fantasy-appropriate star systems and colony worlds -- with mechanics in place for handling things like player-sponsored colonies, in the abstract.

Those looking for hard-science detail regarding solar system creation are looking in the wrong place, as this is Warhammer 40K -- fundamentally, a science-fantasy universe, for all its gear and tech.

Most of what's here is conceptual, and meant to facilitate adventure-running and storytelling. It respects the appearance of astronomical and planetological science, for the most part, but it does not set out to replicate science in this regard.

As with the best RT products, this book also provides goodies and details one might not expect from reading the back cover blurb. For example, a Genestealer is presented here, using Rogue Trader stats, as well as its Tyranid cousin, the Broodlord.

Add to all this the quality production values, and the imagination-inspiring color artwork, and Stars Of Inequity seems a welcome addition to the line.

All in all, a worthy purchase if the main focus of the book seems useful to your campaign.

NOTE: My 5 out of 5 score represents solid content and production throughout the work, with no major or obvious failings relevant to what the book appears to promise. It does not signify universal and perfect satisfaction. for all who may purchase it. I review in the real world. :-)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Rogue Trader: Stars of Inequity
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Ancient cities 1
Publisher: Black Hand Source
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/20/2011 17:54:03

I, too, have been searching for years for city maps which detailed non-medieval, ancient cities.

Who knew they were waiting right here, at a phenomenally low price?

Thank you, Black Hand Source!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Ancient cities 1
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World's Largest City
Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/28/2011 23:59:08

The World's Largest City does deliver on the promise of its title. The problem here is the quality of the PDF scan.

What you see in the Full-Size Preview section of the listing? That's the quality of the scan throughout. Useable, but not crisp or as clear as it ought to be.

The scan was not made from the original book layout; in fact this PDF looks like a hand-scan. Some of the pages are slightly askew, the contrast and crispness of the scan could be so much better than it is, and the book's cover image isn't even included as part of the scan.

Again, it's all usable (see the preview) but it's disappointing -- even slightly insulting -- that a $40 PDF couldn't be created with better quality, or more care for the customer.

Still, publisher AEG appears to have essentially abandoned D&D gaming as of this writing, and the book is generally out-of-print as far as I can tell. Unless one wants to pay $80 to buy a physical copy of The World's Largest City from AEG's website store, this is your best bet for owning a copy.

Short version: the book delivers on its promise, but the scan quality as of this writing is mediocre. Functional, but far from professional.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
World's Largest City
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Sunken Empires
Publisher: Kobold Press
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/24/2010 19:51:34

Sunken Empires is well-written, as with all Open Design products, but it's of limited use unless you're a 3E D&D or Pathfinder player.

There's one beautiful, full-color overview map on page 10 -- showing an example fantasy city built upon the remains of a sunken city beneath -- but other than this, the rest of the book is primarily descriptive text and stats/magic/creatures/class revisions for the 3E/Pathfinder system.

Open Design has clearly marked the product as a Pathfinder supplement, but I confess I was shocked by how little of this book is generally useful if you don't play Pathfinder or D&D 3E. I expected there would be a little more to scavenge, and to discover only a single 8x10 map within was also genuinely disappointing.

It's hard for me to score this one. As above, it definitely carries the Open Design quality, but the narrow focus of the game mechanics (and the lack of maps, and other broadly useful "setting elements") will limit the product's appeal for many prospective buyers.

I'll split the difference and call it a 3 out of 5, which basically translates as: "I've told you what I can, the final decision's up to you."



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Sunken Empires
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Temple of Outsiders
Publisher: Fanig Entertainment, LLC
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/08/2009 22:50:13

THE SHORT VERSION

A 100% kobold-free first-level adventure for D&D 4E. Temple of Outsiders is both interesting and worthwhile, consistently doing more than “the same old first-level thing, the same old first-level way”.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Let’s face it: most first-level D&D adventures suck, because they read like they were written on autopilot by authors who didn’t care, and couldn’t wait to get on to writing higher level “good stuff”.

There’s usually a farming town, and they’re usually under threat by kobolds. Why kobolds? Because kobolds are the weakest of the D&D monsters, so that’s what you pit against first-level characters if you’re writing by the numbers.

Happily, authors Jesse Butler and Matthew Peronto aren’t writing by the numbers in Fanig Entertainment’s adventure Temple of Outsiders. Sure, there’s a town – but it’s not your typical town – and sure, they’ve got trouble – but it’s not your typical trouble. Best of all, there are no kobolds anywhere. Butler and Peronto have crated up the yippy little dog-lizards, and shipped them off to parts unknown.

What impresses me most about Temple of Outsiders is the obvious enthusiasm the authors bring to their work. There’s a real sense here that they want to bring something fresh and interesting and useful back to beginning adventuring.

There are a number of intriguing new monsters here, and a clever trap or two, all of which suit the adventure – but any of which could be used outside the context of the adventure as well. Even if you don’t want to run Temple of Outsiders as written, I think its still worth stealing from at every opportunity for your use in your home campaign.

Visually, the product is quite nice. While it’s not as graphically slick as the sort of thing put out by WotC or Green Ronin, there’s color throughout, clear and useful maps, appropriate illustrations, and a conscious effort to reproduce the recognizable stat block and information formats used in the D&D4e core books.

I guess that’s the thing here – you can sense the thought and the effort that went into making Temple of Outsiders. While most first-level adventures are typically the height of lazy simplistic design, the authors behind Temple of Outsiders are obviously pushing to keep their material interesting and entertaining at all points, whenever possible.

Even the basic plot hook in ToO is not the typical “go here, kill whatever isn’t you” cliche seen in most first-level adventures. Sure, it’s a site based adventure, but there’s a mystery driving things, and a sense of exploration informing the players’ actions.

Something’s gone deeply strange in an ancient ruin, and the players not only have to deal with the results of this, but they also need to figure out what’s causing the problems, and why.

Every D&D campaign needs a low-level starting point for the characters; Temple of Outsiders is one of the best pre-made options for this that I’ve seen in quite a while. As above, even if you don’t use it as written, there are a number of new monsters, traps, and encounter bits worth stealing.

WHAT’S NOT SO GOOD?

If I could change one thing about Temple of Outsiders, it would probably be the cover. The cover illustration IS good -- once you’ve bought the product and can actually see it up-close – but that’s the problem.

The postage-stamp size product icons used on RPGNow have reduced the cover design of Temple of Outsiders to an indistinguishable grey-bordered brown blob. It doesn’t matter how good the cover art actually is, if no one can actually see it.

While none of this is Fanig Entertainment’s fault, of course – RPGNow sets the display guidelines – I would hope that, for their next release, Fanig puts together a cover design which can still catch the eye, even when shrunk down to tiny proportions. Look at how the slick publishers do it routinely … WotC, Goodman Games, Green Ronin, Malhavoc, and all the rest.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, if all else fails, why not put a pretty female character or creature on your cover? It doesn’t have to be cheesy, or sleazy, or sexist – merely attractive.

You want a browsing customer to pause long enough to give your product the closer look it deserves, so that you can sell them on the details. Given the buyer demographic at RPGNow, an attractive female on the cover would likely provide you that moment’s opportunity.

So … the cover, when shrunk down, doesn’t call to a browsing viewer the way one might hope it would. This is a shame, really, because the cover illustration is worthy, and Temple of Outsiders is worth a closer look.

THE FINAL VERDICT

Temple of Outsiders from Faning Entertainment is a solid, intriguing first-level adventure for D&D4e. What it lacks in surface glossiness, it more than makes up for with its dedication to providing an engaging and entertaining gaming experience. Even those who don’t plan to run the adventure as written will find ideas and game-table material worth plundering.

I’d give this product five stars for dedication and execution alone, but five star ratings here on RPGNow are now so commonplace as to be meaningless. Readers skip past them. So, we’ll call it a four out of five, in the hopes of attracting a few curious readers – and blame it on that unfortunate cover layout, if we must.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Temple of Outsiders
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Far Avalon
Publisher: Avalon Game Company
by Malcolm M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/17/2009 06:27:09

THE SHORT VERSION: All Fluff, No Crunch

WHAT'S GOOD?

Lead author Martin J. Dougherty knows hows to write a compelling SF setting.

From his early game-product days here on RPGNow -- working on Traveller-related material -- to this, his creator-owned Far Avalon SF setting, Dougherty definitely knows how to spin science-fiction scenarios, and how to offer up game-universe detail in precisely the right way to intrigue and inspire gamemasters and players alike.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD?

As ever, Dougherty greatest flaw as a game designer is that he doesn't really design game products. More often than not, he creates setting detail and scenario opportunities, with nary a game mechanic in sight.

The same is true of Far Avalon -- it's all setting background. No character creation, no game mechanics. The many starships listed on the contents page? All described in text.

While Dougherty does storytelling and description better than most, I find I'm weary of his gaming projects, which are better suited as outlines for SF novels, or the long-pitch for screenplays, than for game-table-useful gaming products.

So, I'm calling you out, Mr. Dougherty, one author to another -- get yourself a true literary agent and stop pissing away your talent writing game products which read like would-be novel outlines.

Step up and take the leap for true. I know that you've written various general-market books, as well as what amount to Traveller fanfic novels (and again, these last under a gaming rubric). Enough of that. Stop hiding, and own your storytelling talent in full.

There's nothing more tragic than watching an artist who's convinced himself that he's only a housepainter ...

THE FINAL VERDICT

If you want a very good "system-less" science-fiction campaign setting, reminiscent of Traveller, but with enough tweaks and alterations to make it seem fresh, then Far Avalon is for you.

On the other hand, if you want something more than just a general-overview-level SF campaign setting, then you need to look elsewhere.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Far Avalon
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